Aloha Poke Co.® Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Aloha Poke Co. is a fast-casual franchise serving customizable Hawaiian-style poke bowls with fresh fish and toppings. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing fresh-fish prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A ALOHA POKE CO.® franchise requires a total initial investment of $141K – $476K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $324K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $141K – $476K
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $324K
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 17
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $141K – $476K including a $35K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $324K/year (median $302K), with an estimated 34% cash-on-cash return (based on Restaurant Profit ("EBITDA")viii $187,887 25.7%).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Aloha Poke Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- Aloha Poke Holdings LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Christopher Birkinshaw
- Incorporated in
- Illinois
- HQ
- 445 W. Erie Street, Suite 200, Chicago, Illinois 60654
- Auditor
- Plante & Moran, PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $92K
- vs $80K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Christopher Birkinshaw
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 5
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 53% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $35K | |
| One Month's Rentnot refundable | $2K | $7K | |
| One Month's Security Deposit | $2K | $7K | |
| Architect Feenot refundable | $500 | $15K | |
| Construction / Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $55K | $280K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipmentnot refundable | $19K | $48K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $2K | $17K | |
| Opening Inventory and Suppliesnot refundable | $4K | $10K | |
| Point-of-Sale and Computer Systemsnot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Market Introduction Programnot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Insurance (Annual)not refundable | $3K | $4K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $2K | $5K | |
| Business Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $1K | $7K | |
| Additional funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $10K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $141K | $476K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $141K – $476K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 3.0 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $4K – $10K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 73% below the quick-service restaurants norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$52K
16.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
16%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
6.3 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FDD-reported earnings vs. model
The FDD reports $188K as Restaurant Profit ("EBITDA")viii $187,887 25.7%. Our model estimates $52K SLEBITDA from the same revenue using category-average cost assumptions. These numbers differ because Restaurant Profit ("EBITDA")viii $187,887 25.7% deducts different expense categories than our model.
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one ALOHA POKE CO.® unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
16%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 ALOHA POKE CO.® units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$583K
on $2.9M purchase
Total debt
$2.3M
SBA $1.5M + senior + seller note
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $324K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $302K
- Avg restaurant profit ("ebitda")viii $187,887 25.7%
- $188K
- Reported as Restaurant Profit ("EBITDA")viii $187,887 25.7% in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 33.5%
- Based on Restaurant Profit ("EBITDA")viii $187,887 25.7% / investment midpoint
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales and profit
- Sample size
- 3
- vs category median 20 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $206K→$463K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- none
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 9 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $324K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.0x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% — below the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 9/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 3 units — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
System expanding at 150.0% CAGR over 3 years across 17 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 9% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Aloha Poke Co.® Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 17
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 12
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 29%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 9.1%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +150.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +150.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 6
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 5.9%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 5 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
5
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 4 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 4
- Loan volume
- $1.1M
- Median loan
- $275K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (4 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Rapidly expanding poke bowl concept with undocumented financial claims, narrow unit base, and unclear unit-level profitability for franchisees at the higher end of investment range.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Plante & Moran, PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 53 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORAggressive unit growth of 66.7% YoY with only 17 total units suggests rapid expansion without proven unit stability or long-term track record
- 02MEDHigh investment range ($140,900–$475,930) relative to disclosed average net income ($187,887) yields marginal ROI and extended payback period of 3–5+ years
- 03MINOR5% royalty on gross sales plus typical overhead (rent, labor, food costs) may compress margins below stated net income averages in mature/slower units
- 04MEDLimited franchisee sample size (17 units) increases statistical volatility and reduces confidence in average performance metrics
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 64 hrs
- Training location
- Chicago, IL
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
ALOHA POKE CO.® · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a ALOHA POKE CO.® franchise?
The total investment to open a ALOHA POKE CO.® franchise ranges from $141K – $476K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do ALOHA POKE CO.® franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the ALOHA POKE CO.® FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $324K. The median is $302K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the ALOHA POKE CO.® FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the ALOHA POKE CO.® FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is ALOHA POKE CO.®'s franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for ALOHA POKE CO.® (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many ALOHA POKE CO.® franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, ALOHA POKE CO.® has 17 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 12 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is ALOHA POKE CO.® a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates ALOHA POKE CO.® as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.